Yurinoki Shotengai (Shopping Street) Renovated

　Hikarigaoka Park Town is the largest new town in the 23 wards of Tokyo. Designed as a residential area with streets and apartments arranged around the Hikarigaoka Park, it has not only convenience, but also good living environment and ready access to the city center. In June 2018, we opened an employee dormitory called “MUJI BASE Hikarigaoka” utilizing a spared facility in the housing complex, and in December 2018, we opened a store in the housing complex called “MUJIcom Hikarigaoka Yurinoki Shoutengai.” Through participating in events such as summer festivals hosted by residents' associations and Christmas festivals hosted by shopping district, we have been actively communicating with the residents of the housing complex and neighboring areas.

　In parallel with these “software” initiatives, we have also been proceeding with the improvement of the “hardware” of the shopping district. In November 2018, we launched the Yurinoki Shotengai Vitalization Project. Since March 2019, we have held several meetings with Urban Renaissance Agency (UR), which operates the housing complex, the UID First-Class Architect Office, which is in charge of environmental design, and the people of the shopping district. Through these meetings, we have shared our visions of what kind of shopping street we want to create.

　In December 2020, two years after the kick-off of this project, we completed the renovation of the environment of the shopping street under the concept of the Hikarigaoka Lounge. The goal is to become a shopping district as pleasant as a living room, and at the same time play a key role in community formation that embraces multiple generations. Aluminum louvers with wood-grained finishes are installed on existing pent-roofs, and the location of lights were calculated so that warm downlight can be seen at night. In addition, the signage of each shop has been unified, creating a sense of unity in the shopping street.

　Concerning the renovation and the efforts being made, the store manager of the MUJIcom Hikarigaoka Yurinoki Shoutengai said, “The customers told us that the atmosphere of the shopping street has become brighter and softer. And I feel that through the events and activities we have been holding, our relationship with the local community has deepened."
　The person in charge of the project who worked with Urban Renaissance Agency (UR) and UID First-Class Architect Office, said, “I’m very glad that the renovation project became the opportunity for us to develop connections with people of the shopping district, which led to the revitalization of the shopping association later on and the success of the Christmas festival."

　In the future, we plan to create a bulletin board for the shopping street together with the local residents and the members from the shopping street. Please stay updated with the latest activities in the future.

■Related sites
MUJIcom Hikarigaoka Yurinoki Shoutengai – The New Yurinoki Shoutengai (In Japanese)
（https://www.muji.com/jp/ja/shop/046603/articles/other/642121）